How to change Android minSdkVersion in flutter project

It is indeed possible to increase minSdkVersion, but it took me way too much time to find it out because google searches mostly yields as result discussions about the absolute minimum Sdk version flutter should be able to support, not how to increase it in your own project.

Like in an Android Studio project, you have to edit the build.gradle file. In a flutter project, it is found at the path ./android/app/build.gradle.

The parameter that needs to be changed is, of course, minSdkVersion 16, bumping it up to what you need (in this case 19).

defaultConfig {
    // TODO: Specify your own unique Application ID (https://developer.android.com/studio/build/application-id.html).
    applicationId "com.example.projectname"
    minSdkVersion 19 //*** This is the part that needs to be changed, previously was 16
    targetSdkVersion 28
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
}

Seems obvious now, but took me long enough to figure it out on my own.

Flutter 2.8 or Later

build.gradle update

Before Updating to Flutter 2.8

android {
    compileSdkVersion 30

defaultConfig {
    applicationId "com.example.app"
    minSdkVersion 21
    targetSdkVersion 30
    versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
    versionName flutterVersionName
    multiDexEnabled true
}

After updating to Flutter 2.8:

android {
    compileSdkVersion flutter.compileSdkVersion

defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.app"
        minSdkVersion flutter.minSdkVersion
        targetSdkVersion flutter.targetSdkVersion
        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
        versionName flutterVersionName
    }

You should change from local.properties following instruction:

1. First go to the android->local.properties

2. And changes from here

3. Change like this from build.gradle

android {
    compileSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.compileSdkVersion').toInteger()

defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.minSdkVersion').toInteger()
    targetSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.targetSdkVersion').toInteger()
    versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
    versionName flutterVersionName
}

If you didn't know, Google Playstore only allows minSdkVersion to be 20 or above. But flutter has still set default minSdkVersion to 16. Can you see that you'll be always obliged to manually change for each new project?

All your suggestions above are good, but they are not the best, because you will be forced to temper with the build.gradle for each new project you create.

The best way is to modify the value of the global minSdkVersion variable from its source, so all projects, new or old, will adopt it. Remember flutter.minSdkVersion means that the variable is in flutter directory (with the sdk).

The file in question is flutter.gradle.

the address is flutter-directory/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/flutter.gradle

class FlutterExtension {
    /** Sets the compileSdkVersion used by default in Flutter app projects. */
    static int compileSdkVersion = 31

    /** Sets the minSdkVersion used by default in Flutter app projects. */
    static int minSdkVersion = 16

    /** Sets the targetSdkVersion used by default in Flutter app projects. */
    static int targetSdkVersion = 31

change the value of the minSdkVersion from 16 to 20 or above, and do not disturb the code in build.gradle.

If you want, you can watch a video I made on Youtube, explaining it under: flutter configure minSdkVersion from 16 to 20 or above

For flutter v2.8

Inside local.properties add

sdk.dir='<path>'
flutter.sdk='<path>'
flutter.buildMode=debug
flutter.versionName=1.0.0
flutter.versionCode=1

flutter.minSdkVersion=21
flutter.targetSdkVersion=30
flutter.compileSdkVersion=30

app-level build.gradle

defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.minSdkVersion').toInteger()
    targetSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.targetSdkVersion').toInteger()
    versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
    versionName flutterVersionName
}

Now you can use localProperties.getProperty() to read the value from the properties file.

You can change the minSdkVersion in the file Project_Name/android/app/build.gradle , defaultconfig :

defaultConfig {
    // TODO: Specify your own unique Application ID (https://developer.android.com/studio/build/application-id.html).
    applicationId "com.example.projectname"
    minSdkVersion 16 // <--- There
    targetSdkVersion 27
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
}

With the new Flutter projects (2.8.0), with the 'Flutter style', you able to change minimum sdk version in local.properties (instead of editing app/build.gradle file).

# android/local.properties

flutter.minSdkVersion=19

Look in android/app/build.gradle file, you'll see the variable constraint like this:

# android/app/build.gradle

android {

  defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion flutter.minSdkVersion
    targetSdkVersion flutter.targetSdkVersion
    versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
    versionName flutterVersionName
  }
}

All answers are best. But the following way is best in changing SdkVersion after Flutter 2.8 :

Go to your root directory where flutter is installed. It should be like

C:\src\flutter\flutter

Then go to

packages>Flutter tools>gradle>

In Gradle, you will see many files, locate flutter.gradle . Right-click on it and edit it with text editor/notepad.

here you will find all SDK versions. Change them, save, and then you are ready to go

the complete path should be like this: (in my case)

C:\src\flutter\flutter\packages\flutter_tools\gradle

Follow these steps to change the minSdkVersion problem.

First=> YouProject_name/android/app/build.gradle

Second=> defaultconfig { //you can find it inside build.gradle }

defaultConfig {
        // TODO: Specify your own unique Application ID (https://developer.android.com/studio/build/application-id.html).
        applicationId "com.umair.product_details_using_crud"
        minSdkVersion 16 // here you can change minSdkVersison
        targetSdkVersion 28
        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
        versionName flutterVersionName
    }

Here the detailed solution for changing MinSdk /Minsdk version error, follow the steps.

Add following lines on android\local.properties

sdk.dir=
flutter.sdk=C:\\flutter
flutter.buildMode=debug
flutter.versionName=1.0.0
flutter.versionCode=1

flutter.minSdkVersion=21
flutter.targetSdkVersion=31
flutter.compileSdkVersion=31

Delete existing lines and paste it on app level build.gradle: android\app\build.gradle

       defaultConfig {
        applicationId "app-id"

        minSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.minSdkVersion').toInteger()
        targetSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.targetSdkVersion').toInteger()
        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
        versionName flutterVersionName
}

Add the following lines to android/local.properties file:

flutter.versionCode=1
flutter.versionName=0.0.1
flutter.flutterMinSdkVersion=24
flutter.flutterTargetSdkVersion=31

Add the following lines at the top-level in the file may be after "def versionName =" in the file android/app/build.gradle:

def flutterMinSdkVersion = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.flutterMinSdkVersion')
if (flutterMinSdkVersion == null) {
    flutterMinSdkVersion = '16'
}

def flutterTargetSdkVersion = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.flutterTargetSdkVersion')
if (flutterMinSdkVersion == null) {
    flutterMinSdkVersion = '31'
}

finally edit the section of the build.gradle that match as follows:

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "do.main.subdomain" // Use your App ID
        minSdkVersion flutterMinSdkVersion.toInteger()
        targetSdkVersion flutterTargetSdkVersion.toInteger()
        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
        versionName flutterVersionName
    }

Once all this is done you are good to go. Next time you want to update something you only have to change one file.

I found the best way to fix this so it performs globally across all of your future apps as well is by changing the setting in the flutter.gradle file located in your default build section. If you're using VSCode

1. go to this location (or the location you've installed flutter) C:\src\flutter\packages\flutter_tools\gradle\
2. drag the flutter.gradle file into VSCode
3. update the min, compile, and/or target versions
4. save

I encountered this problem setting up Auth0, flutter_appauth and flutter_secure_storage within my flutter app. After changing the minSdkVersion version, I got this error

C:\Users\myusername\AndroidStudioProjects\wole\android\app\src\debug\AndroidManifest.xml Error:
    Attribute data@scheme at AndroidManifest.xml requires a placeholder substitution but no value for <appAuthRedirectScheme> is provided.
FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

• What went wrong: Execution failed for task ':app:processDebugManifest'.

Manifest merger failed : Attribute data@scheme at AndroidManifest.xml requires a placeholder substitution but no value for is provided.

The solution is adding manifestPlaceholders thus

Setting minSdkVersion, targetSdkVersion, and compileSdkVersion are a little bit different starting from Flutter 2.8. Now the gradle file in your_flutter_app/android/app/build.gradle path looks like this:

Just replace the current values with the version numbers you want, like this:

Now run your flutter project, and that's it.

change local.properties file mentioned below.. because currently playstore update minimum target api version atleast 30

sdk.dir=/Users/sweetnandha/Library/Android/sdk
flutter.sdk=/Users/sweetnandha/FlutterDev/flutter
flutter.buildMode=debug
flutter.versionName=1.0.0
flutter.versionCode=1
flutter.compileSdkVersion=32
flutter.minSdkVersion=21
flutter.targetSdkVersion=32

or

This is how I approached when I got this issue recently:

Inside <your-project>/android/app/build.gradle

Find android -> defaultConfig -> minSdkVersion and replace it with

minSdkVersion Math.max(flutter.minSdkVersion, 21)

21 here can be replaced by whatever minimum version you would want.

In case flutter start supporting 23 or some other higher version as the minimum version and you decide to upgrade flutter for your project, it would still work.

defaultConfig { // TODO: Specify your own unique Application ID (https://developer.android.com/studio/build/application-id.html). applicationId "com.example.map" minSdkVersion 19 targetSdkVersion flutter.targetSdkVersion versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger() versionName flutterVersionName }

Upgrade your compiled sdk version to 29 - higher

hope this will help you.

you can find out that folder with which flutter ( on mac or linux ) or in windows you can look here https://stackoverflow.com/a/304447/8122500 . then you can follow guide from @francis-nduba-numbi .

there is 2 type to change from

1. from flutter.gradle ( recommendation change here for not spesifc/for future )
2. or direct from build.gradle ( not recommended )

    **android/local.properties**
flutter.versionCode=1
flutter.minSdkVersion=21
flutter.targetSdkVersion=30
flutter.compileSdkVersion=31

  **android/app/build.gradle**
minSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.minSdkVersion').toInteger()

targetSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.targetSdkVersion').toInteger()
versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
        versionName flutterVersionName

Try this at android/app/build.gradel minSdkVersion 30 that should fix it but make sure you are at kotlin_version = '1.6.10' with your kotlin version.

It's found inside the defaultconfig on [project_name]/android/app/build.gradle. defaultconfig

app/build.gradle add this version code

In the current version of flutter (2.10.4) you should change it by going into Flutter sdk folder/packages/open flutter_tools open /gradle then open flutter.gradle and find static int minSdkVersion and change as per requirement

e.g: C:\Workspace\flutter\packages\flutter_tools\gradle\flutter.gradle

this worked. With the new version, it can now be changed directly from the IDE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztjCMzBX18w

first run flutter clean

then change the minSdkVersion in the file Project_Name/android/app/build.gradle , defaultconfig :